Nicole Pham launched Lemon Grass. Now, try Andy’s Bistro in Lacey

It’s called the American Dream. And Nicole Pham has lived it.

Originally from South Vietnam, Pham came to this country about 40 years ago and has become well-known for a series of restaurants called Lemon Grass. She opened her first in downtown Olympia, followed by locations in Tumwater and Lacey. She also runs a popular Elma drive-in called Eagle’s Nest.

On May 9, she added to her enterprises, opening the doors at Andy’s Bistro, which serves a little Vietnamese food, a little Japanese food, a little Chinese food, Western-style sandwiches and more.

They also plan to add Italian food to the menu, said Andrew Porter, Pham’s only son and the restaurant’s namesake.

“We want to make it a place for everyone,” said Andrew, 14.

Not only is it a new business for the Pham family, it’s also filled a space on Sixth Avenue Southeast in Lacey that has seen little commercial activity. At one time, a business called Indy Sandwich appeared set to open in the same location, but never did.

Andy’s Bistro now fills the 1,700-square-foot space.

So, what can you eat and drink at Andy’s Bistro?

Nicole recommends the Southwest chipotle chicken wrap, with ramen noodle soup and Vietnamese iced coffee, which is made with sweet Vietnamese condensed milk.

Andrew recommends a ham combo banh mi sandwich, with round steak and meatball Pho (a Vietnamese soup pronounced “fuh”) and a passion fruit iced tea.

Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich served on French bread. Often, the bread is hard and crunchy, but Pham said they serve a softer bread, which isn’t as messy after you’ve taken a bite, Andrew said.

Pho is a soup typically filled with noodles, meat and vegetables.

Both recommended that customers order a soup, like Pho, and a banh mi sandwich. You can then dip the sandwich in the Pho broth and make it a Vietnamese French dip, Pham said.

Pham said she hopes her son eventually takes over the business, but first he must finish school and go to college. Andrew said his dream is to attend the University of Washington and study business.

He helps out at Andy’s Bistro, mostly on the weekends, or behind the scenes with the menu, social media and the website, he said.

When he was four days old, Pham first brought him to Lemon Grass. At 6, he would sometimes wash dishes, she said.

After Pham fled South Vietnam, she spent a year in a Hong Kong-based refugee camp, then made her way to California and later Olympia. She attended Capital High School. Andrew is set to attend the same school.

Andy’s Bistro

• Owner: Nicole Pham and family
• Location: 4410 Sixth Ave. SE Lacey
• Employees: Five part-time workers
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday
• Online: Find Andy’s Bistro on Facebook, Instagram and Yelp

This story was originally published May 30, 2019 at 8:35 PM.